Our network for joint success  

Target groups: employable adult asylum seekers, tolerated persons with access to the labor market, refugees with a residence permit, younger refugees

Objectives: Integration of asylum seekers and refugees into work, improving the chances of integration of young refugees into training, placing participants in ESF-BAMF language courses, raising awareness among regional companies of their willingness to hire, increasing the sustainability of an employment or training relationship for the above-mentioned target groups target group, specialist training for employment agencies and job centers as well as municipal administrations

Services: individual labour market-related advice and coaching, job-related qualifications with a language component, skills assessments, practical trials in the skilled trades sector, vocational orientation, placement in work and training, support for participants and companies during the qualification and employment or training relationship, training for the BA and job centers on access to the labour market for the above-mentioned target group

The IQ Network Saxony-Anhalt (coordinated by Caritas) is part of the nationwide funding program "Integration through Qualification (IQ)". Since 2005, this program has been working towards the goal of improving labour market opportunities for people with a history of migration. It is of central interest that vocational qualifications acquired abroad - regardless of residence title - more frequently lead to employment that is appropriate to their education.

<p>The perception of migrants is often characterized by deficits. It is not only important for a diverse society to raise awareness of the potential of immigrants and reduce discrimination, but also for the successful integration of people with a history of migration into the labor market. Building and anchoring intercultural competence among labor market players is therefore still a central concern of the IQ funding program.</p

<p>Fields of action:

People with professional qualifications acquired abroad who are confronted with recognition and qualification issues receive orientation and information on the current procedural path, the recognition requirements and the relevant procedural actors (pilot function) following a needs analysis.

The work of the Saxony-Anhalt state network focuses on:

• Counseling
• Qualification counseling
• Intercultural orientation / opening, anti-discrimination and diversity

At the IQ "Recognition and Qualification Advice" service points, people seeking advice receive expert advice on adaptation qualifications and compensation measures in order to achieve full recognition and then find employment appropriate to their qualifications.

The IQ service points "Qualification advice in the context of the Recognition Act"deal with the planning, organization and implementation of vocational qualification measures for people with foreign qualifications. The qualifications pave the way for full recognition of existing qualifications and adequate integration into the labor market.</p

<p>The IQ service points "Intercultural orientation / opening, anti-discrimination and diversity" organize the establishment and further development of intercultural skills of labour market actors. The main target groups are job centers, employment agencies, municipal administrations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).</p

<p>The program is funded by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) and the European Social Fund (ESF). Partners in the implementation are the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Employment Agency (BA).

LAMSA represents the political, social and cultural interests of people with a migration background in Saxony-Anhalt.

<p>Thematic areas of LAMSA:

• Initial integration of immigrants
• Language teaching
• Political participation of migrants
• Labor market integration of migrants
• Intercultural educational work
• Volunteering by and for migrants

 The most important tasks include:

• Representing the interests of people with a migration background
• Advising and qualifying migrants
• Strengthening and networking migrant organizations
• Intercultural and religious dialogue
• Expert exchange with stakeholders
• Language mediation

In the area of labor market integration, LAMSA advises and supports young migrants on their path to dual training. Companies are advised on intercultural competence

The shortage of skilled workers and demographic change require a joint rethink and new approaches to personnel planning. Making use of the potential of foreign skilled workers is a path that we must take in a sustainable and socially responsible manner.</p

<p>The state of Saxony-Anhalt has a good help and support structure for companies that offer active assistance in training and/or employing people who have immigrated from abroad. In the "Welcome Culture and Recruitment of Skilled Workers Network", the most important players in migration work create synergies to strengthen Saxony-Anhalt as a place to live and work.

Our joint work:

• Broadly raising awareness of the potential of a welcoming culture but also the associated challenges,
• Organizing state-wide, high-profile events with a broad impact in line with the objectives,
• Developing practical, target group-specific recommendations for action,  how a welcoming culture can be more strongly practiced in the country,
• creating transparency about the diverse approaches in terms of the strategic objective and deriving and communicating "examples of good practice",
• identifying practical and fundamental challenges in addressing and integrating foreigners into the labour and training market,
• identifying concrete approaches to dealing with the challenges and testing/implementing them,
• strengthening the respective activities of the partners organized in the network through meaningful cooperation.

Project duration: 08/2017 - 07/2019

The Center for Migration and the Labour Market (ZEMIGRA) is a virtual information point that offers expert knowledge and competent help on the topic of labor market integration of immigrants in Saxony-Anhalt

The ZEMIGRA portal offers up-to-date information, for example on the legal situation and funding opportunities. The virtual map (with search function) and the topic pages provide an overview of local support programs and accompanying projects that help companies to integrate immigrants. Success stories show examples of different ways in which labor market integration can succeed in Saxony-Anhalt.

<p>ZEMIGRA's advice service supports companies with questions and problems by providing quick and targeted referrals to the relevant authorities or contact persons in labor market-related projects.

In addition, ZEMIGRA is working with the "Welcome Culture and Recruitment of Skilled Workers" network, an alliance of various support services for companies in Saxony-Anhalt, to organize the event format "Finding and Retaining Foreign Skilled Workers". Successful examples of integration in companies are presented here. An exchange of experience is initiated between regional companies and stakeholders.

ZEMIGRA is supported by the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Integration of Saxony-Anhalt and financed by funds from the state of Saxony-Anhalt and the European Social Fund. The project is being implemented under the joint responsibility of the Forschungsinstitut Betriebliche Bildung (f-bb) gGmbH, the Rationalisierungs- und Innovationszentrum (RKW) Sachsen-Anhalt and the Europäisches Bildungswerk für Beruf und Gesellschaft (EBG) Sachsen-Anhalt.